Spherical VTOL aerial vehicle

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an unmanned flying robotic object that contains a wheeled mechanism that encircles its spherical exoskeleton. This feature allows the flying spherical vehicle to readily transform into a ground maneuverable vehicle. A robotic motor with differential speed capability is used to operate each wheel to provide effective ground maneuverability. There are examples provided herein of wheel configurations suitable for use with an embodiment. One is the straight- (or parallel) wheel design, and another is tilted-wheel design as are illustrated and discussed hereinafter. One embodiment of an unmanned flying robotic object taught herein is foldable.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/129,555, filed Sep. 27, 2016, which application is a 371Entry into the U.S. from PCT/US2015/023134, filed Mar. 27, 2015, whichPCT application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/970,954 filed on Mar. 27, 2014, and incorporatessaid applications by reference into this document as if fully set out atthis point. No new matter has been added.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is related to the unmanned air vehicles and, moreparticularly, to unmanned air vehicles for use by first responders thatcan hover, fly forward, have mobility on the ground, that have aself-up-righting capability and methods for controlling same.

BACKGROUND

In general, unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) come in two forms, fixedwing and rotary wing, each having its own advantages and shortcomings.The former has limitations with take-off and landing, while the latterhas limitations in stability, safety and endurance. Conventionalfixed-wing designs can fly forward efficiently at high speed, but theycannot take-off and land vertically, and either runways or launch andrecovery systems are required. On the other hand, rotor platforms suchas helicopters and multi-rotors can take off and land vertically, butthey cannot fly forward with high speed relative to fixed wing designsand have limited ground handling. Rotary platforms have the distinctadvantage of hovering while staring directly at a target as long aspower is available.

Open-tip propeller on both hand-tossed fixed wing UAVs and multi-rotorplatforms can present safety hazards to the operator and are likely toget damaged upon contact with an object. These demands have led to thedevelopment of several shrouded fan vehicles with robust controlsystems. Likewise, multi-rotor systems have become extremely capable.Even though these vehicles may be shrouded and equipped with robustflight control system, the vehicles' orientation during take-off andlanding relative to the terrain remains critical. In other words, atoppled vehicle has no further operational capability without humanintervention. To design a search and rescue orientated UAV to operate inan urban or indoor environment, capabilities such as object detectionand avoidance, hover, small landing footprint and self-recovering in anundesirable environment are some of the functionalities needed to besuccessful.

Among the many possible uses of such vehicle include search and rescueand damage assessment in disaster areas, including indoor proximalreconnaissance, power line and wind turbine inspection, oil and gasexploration, pipeline monitoring and inspection, tethered operation forweather monitoring, “Skycam” over a stadiums for security or observationof the event.

Heretofore, as is well known in the aircraft arts, there has been a needfor a system and method of producing a robotic aircraft that does notsuffer from the disadvantages of the prior art. Accordingly, it shouldnow be recognized that, there exists now, and has existed for some time,a very real need for a system that would address and solve theabove-described problems.

Before proceeding to a description of the present disclosure, however,it should be noted that the description of the disclosure which follows,together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed aslimiting the disclosure to the examples (or embodiments) shown anddescribed. This is so because those skilled in the art to which thedisclosure pertains will be able to devise other forms of thisdisclosure within the ambit of the appended claims.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment, the instant inventors have invented anunmanned aerial system (UAS) and method that is specifically designedbased on engineering considerations to be as quiet as possible.

This disclosure teaches a spherical unmanned air vehicle for use by, forexample, first responders and commercial entities and the like for airand ground surveillance that combines the benefits of hover, forwardflight, ground mobility, and self-uprighting capability for return toflight.

According to an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to amultifunctional robotic vehicle designed for, e.g., search and rescuemission that combines the benefits of hover, forward flight, and groundmaneuverability.

Moreover, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to anembodiment of the present disclosure relates to an unmanned flyingrobotic object that contains a wheeled mechanism that encircles itsspherical exoskeleton. This feature allows the flying spherical vehicleto readily transform into a ground maneuverable vehicle. A robotic motorwith differential speed capability is used to operate each wheel toprovide effective ground maneuverability. There are examples providedherein of wheel configurations suitable for use with an embodiment. Oneis the straight- (or parallel) wheel design, and another is tilted-wheeldesign as are illustrated and discussed hereinafter.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a self-rightingremotely controlled generally spherical vehicle. In one embodiment, thevehicle rights itself by reversing the direction of the propeller(s)that are otherwise used for flight, where “reverse” means to rotate in adirection opposite the rotational direction that is used to powerflight. In some embodiments, this will be done without adjusting thepitch of the propeller(s) so reversed. In this embodiment the forcecreated from the reversed propeller will be enough to right the vehiclebut will not provide enough thrust to generate lift.

One embodiment of the instant unmanned flying robotic object isfoldable.

Taught herein is a foldable unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising: afuselage, said fuselage containing a power source and avionics forreceiving commands from a user and controlling said vehicle during aflight according to said received commands; at least one propeller inmechanical communication with said power source and in mechanicalcommunication with said fuselage; at least four vertically orientedframe members, each of said frame members being rotatably supported onan inner edge by said fuselage and having a generally continuoussemicircular shape on outer edge, wherein said at least four framemembers are rotatable about said fuselage between a planar configurationand spherical configuration.

Also taught herein is a self-uprightable unmanned aerial vehicle,comprising a fuselage, said fuselage containing a power source andavionics for receiving commands from a user and controlling said vehicleduring a flight according to said received commands; at least onepropeller in mechanical communication with said power source and inmechanical communication with said fuselage, wherein one or more of saidat least one propellers is reversible; at least four vertically orientedframe members, each of said frame members being supported on an inneredge by said fuselage and having a generally continuous semicircularshape on outer edge, thereby giving said vehicle a generally sphericalshape.

Additionally taught herein is a self-uprightable unmanned aerialvehicle, comprising: a fuselage, said fuselage containing a power sourceand avionics for receiving commands from a user and controlling saidvehicle during a flight according to said received commands; at leastone propeller in mechanical communication with said power source and inmechanical communication with said fuselage, wherein one or more of saidat least one propellers is reversible; at least four vertically orientedframe members, each of said frame members being supported on an inneredge by said fuselage and having a generally continuous semicircularshape on outer edge, thereby giving said vehicle a generally sphericalshape.

Further taught herein is a method of returning to an upright position anunmanned spherical aerial vehicle containing at least one propeller thatis utilized for flight, comprising the steps of: determining a firstrotational direction of said at least one propeller, said firstrotational direction providing at least part of a thrust required tolift said vehicle into flight; determining a second rotational directionopposite said first rotational direction; determining that saidspherical aerial vehicle is not in said upright position; rotating atleast one of said at least one propeller in said second rotationaldirection until said vehicle is at least approximately upright; and,rotating said at least one of said at least one propeller in said firstrotation direction, thereby providing at least part of the thrustrequired to lift said vehicle into flight

Additionally taught herein is a spherical unmanned aerial ground mobilevehicle, comprising: a fuselage, said fuselage containing a power sourceand avionics for receiving commands from a user and controlling saidvehicle during a flight according to said received commands; at leastone propeller in mechanical communication with said power source and inmechanical communication with said fuselage, wherein one or more of saidat least one propellers is reversible; at least four vertically orientedframe members, each of said frame members being supported on an inneredge by said fuselage and having a generally continuous semicircularshape on outer edge, thereby giving said vehicle a generally sphericalshape; and, at least one wheel in mechanical communication with a roverpower source within said fuselage, said at least one rover wheel havingan outer perimeter that extends beyond said outer edges of said framemembers to contact the ground when the vehicle is resting thereon, suchthat rotation of said at least one rover wheel by said rover powersource provides ground mobility to said vehicle.

The foregoing has outlined in broad terms the more important features ofthe invention disclosed herein so that the detailed description thatfollows may be more clearly understood, and so that the contribution ofthe instant inventors to the art may be better appreciated. The instantinvention is not limited in its application to the details of theconstruction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. Rather theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced andcarried out in various other ways not specifically enumerated herein.Additionally, the disclosure that follows is intended to apply to allalternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included withinthe spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims. Further, it should be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting, unless the specificationspecifically so limits the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 contains a schematic drawing of a straight-wheeled embodiment.

FIG. 2 contains a rotated view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 contains another view of an embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of tilted wheel embodiment.

FIG. 5 contains a photographic representation of an example device builtconsistent with the teachings herein.

FIG. 6 shows a photographic representation of a portion of the surfacedrive mechanism.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of a portion of a surface drive embodiment.

FIGS. 8A 8B, and 8C illustrate a foldable embodiment.

FIGS. 9A and 9B contain schematic illustrations of a rover embodiment asviewed with the axis of the propeller oriented horizontally andvertically, respectively.

FIG. 10 contains a conceptual illustration of how an embodiment wouldappear in operations.

FIG. 11 contains a schematic top-down view of the control vanes of anembodiment.

FIG. 12 contains a schematic illustration of the control vanes of anembodiment where the rotor axis is vertical.

FIG. 13 contains a schematic illustration of the resultant force due tovane deflections for an embodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates a hardware arrangement suitable for use with anembodiment.

FIGS. 15A and 15B each contain a schematic diagram of a different tiltedwheel embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be describedhereinafter in detail, some specific embodiments of the instantinvention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosureis to be considered an exemplification of the principles of theinvention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specificembodiments or algorithms so described.

An embodiment is a multi-functional scalable spherical robotic vehicledesigned for search and a rescue application that combines theadvantages of vertical takeoff, vertical landing, hover, forward flight,and ground mobility. A variation consists of a single propellercontrolled by multiple control vanes enclosed in a reinforced sphericalframe with an onboard micro-controller for stabilization and control.That being said, embodiments that utilize multiple propellers are alsopossible.

Continuing with the previous example, an embodiment has a diameter ofabout 20 inches and weighs about 2 lbs. Of course, those of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that other sizes are certainly possible.This form factor can easily fly through a typical door or window frameunder remote pilot (user) control. Communications between thecontrolling user and the vehicle might be handled a using wirelesscommunication connection (e.g., via Bluetooth, Wifi, radio signals,cellular telephone, etc.) or, less likely but still possible, a wiredconnection. In some embodiments, the control information will begenerated using a hardware controller (e.g., one with joysticks or asimilar arrangement) to allow real-time control of the vehicle or, inother instances, the control signals might originate from apreprogrammed/automated flight plan that is under control of a desktop,laptop, cell phone, table computer, etc.

A feature of this embodiment of the UFRO is the ability to self-uprightin any environment, which ability is not present in UAV platforms suchas ducted fan or multi-rotor systems. More specifically, in oneembodiment, the subject UFRO rights itself by reversing the rotationaldirection of the propeller(s) that are otherwise used for flight, where“reverse” means to rotate in a direction opposite that used to powerflight and generate thrust in a downward direction when the UFRO isupright. In some embodiments, this will be done without adjusting thepitch of the propeller(s) so reversed. In this embodiment the forcecreated from the reversed propeller will be enough to right the vehiclebut will not provide enough thrust to generate lift. One advantage ofthis approach is that it does not require any particular distribution ofweight within the vehicle. Reversal of the thrust will tend to roll theinstant spherical vehicle until the reversed propeller is on top of thesphere. Then, that propeller can be reversed again to provide lift sothat the instant vehicle can become airborne.

The spherical frame taught herein also allows the vehicle to encounteran object without the risk of damaging the onboard components, and canland anywhere without the need of coordinated landing maneuverability.Ground mobility is currently achieved using the slipstream generated bythe propeller combined with vane deflection, which allows the vehicle tomaneuver in small spaces on the ground without other ground controlsystems. An embodiment has successfully performed all of theseoperations under remote pilot control.

Turning first to the particular example of FIG. 1 , according to anembodiment the internal components at the center of the sphericalexoskeleton consist of four top control vanes 1, four bottom controlvanes 2, servos 4, and an electric motor 12. In this embodiment thesecomponents operate separately from the rover system which providesground mobility (discussed below) and are principally needed for flightcontrol. The spherical exoskeleton 3 is designed to protect the avioniccomponents (which could include items 1, 2, 4, 12, 14, and 15) and actas structural support that hold the wheels of the rover system in place.The fuselage 10 is compartmentalized to store the avionics (hardware andsoftware) necessary for flight control including, without limitation, awireless communication module (for receiving and transmittinginformation to and from the controlling user), a CPU (to interpretcommands from the controlling user and to control the servos andelectric motor, etc.), a propulsion system for powering the propellerand adjusting the pitch of the blades, and, optionally, the rovercontrol system. For purposes of reference in the text that follows, thefollowing is a listing of the elements that are annotated in theembodiments of FIGS. 1-7 :

-   -   1—Top control vane/surface    -   2—Bottom control vane/surface    -   3—Carbon fiber reinforced foam core frame    -   4—Servo    -   5—Mounting Plate    -   6—Mounting Plate    -   7—Wheel    -   8—Wheel    -   9—Electric Motor with small rubber wheel    -   10—Fuselage    -   11—Nylon control rod    -   12—Propulsion System (electric motor)    -   13—Hinge    -   14—Propeller    -   15—Controller board    -   16—USB port    -   17—Center of Mass

According to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vehicle's roversystem with straight-wheel design comprises multiple control rods 11,two rotationally stationary mounting plates 5 and 6, coupled to theexoskeleton frame, and two rotatable wheels 7 and 8, concentric with theinner hoop/plate. In this variation both of the wheels 7 and 8 arefabricated with reinforced plates, although other variations arecertainly possible and well within the ability of one of ordinary skillin the art to devise.

A ground engaging tread material may be attached on the radial peripheryof the wheel (see, for example, 1520, FIG. 15B). This allows tractionwhen the device is on the ground. Preferably multiple rods are spacedcircumferentially around the mounting plate at approximately 45 degreesintervals. In this embodiment they are mounted on the mounting plate andbonded with the rest of the exoskeleton frame 3. The length of the rod11 defines the gap spacing between the two mounting plates. The wheels 7and 8 in this embodiment are radially and axially supported relative tothe mounting plates 5 and 6 through this engagement to allow rotation.

In some embodiments, the components for the tilted-wheel design (FIGS. 3and 4 ) will be the same as those of the straight-wheel design asdepicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 . One difference is that the two rotationallystationary mounting plates 5 and 6 will be tilted inward in thetilted-wheel variation. In both embodiments, this sort of configuration(two circular wheels that operate on the periphery of the sphere)assists the vehicle in becoming upright (propeller pointing up) uponlanding, which allows the vehicle to transition again into a hovervehicle. Note that in some embodiments the two wheels 7 and 8 might bereplaced by a single wheel which might have a width that is relativelywide as compared with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 . Other embodimentscould have three (or more) wheels.

In an embodiment each wheel is controlled by a separate motor andturning can be achieved by separately adjusting the onboard motorrotational speed of each wheel.

In more particular, according to one embodiment the wheels 7 and 8 canbe activated and controlled individually with a robotic motor which willenable the wheels to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions. Thiswould facilitate turning the vehicle in place while on the ground andwould require no forward velocity. According to this variation, when thevehicle is moving forward, the closely spaced wheels 7 and 8 both rotatein the same direction and act as a single wheel. Further, each roboticmotor will be in mechanical communication with a small diameter rubberwheel 9 that is mounted either at the top or bottom of the fuselage 10.According to the embodiment of FIG. 7 , a small diameter wheel 9 pressesperpendicularly against the surface of the wheel 7 to create frictionthat will urge the wheel 7 into rotation when the small diameter wheel 9is rotated as shown in FIG. 7 . Obviously, other approaches to poweringthe wheels of this embodiment are possible and those of ordinary skillin the art will readily be able to devise them.

Turning next to FIGS. 8A-8C, an embodiment 800 is foldable as isgenerally indicated in that figure. According to this example, there isprovided a foldable flying sphere 800 called the Origami UFRO (OUFRO).This embodiment has four or more movable frame members 805, each ofwhich is rotatably attached along the central axis of the sphere 800 andwhich are semicircular on their outer (i.e., away from the central axis)peripheries. Thus, this embodiment will have a generally spherical shapewhen the frame members 805 are extended into an operationalconfiguration (FIG. 8C) and a generally planar shape when it is foldedfor transport (FIG. 8A). The semicircular outer periphery of the framemembers 805 was chosen for purposes of the embodiments discussed hereinto make it possible for the instant device to roll when it is on theground. This makes it possible, as discussed below, to right itself(i.e., with the propeller at least approximately vertically above thefuselage) and return to a flight-ready ordination after it lands and tomove itself along the ground after a landing. Because of its design, theinstant embodiment 800 can be folded into a flat shape that makes iteasy to store and transport to the location where it is to be utilized.

The images in FIG. 8 show an embodiment during an unfolding sequence(left to right in FIG. 8 ). This embodiment 800 has a plurality ofmovable semicircular frame members 805 that are supported by one or morecircular plates 810 that act as hinges and are rotatably attached to acentral fuselage 820. In some embodiments, each frame member 805 will beattached to the fuselage of the vehicle two circular plates (hinges) 810located at spaced apart locations on the fuselage 820 (e.g., one nearthe top of the fuselage 820 and another near its base), therebyproviding two points of support to the associated frame member 805. InFIG. 8 , the hinges 810 surround a central fuselage 820 that houses atleast the avionics, a motor that drives the propeller 830 and a powersource for the motor, none of which are illustrated in this particularfigure. Although the central fuselage 820 in FIG. 8 is shown to begenerally cylindrical in shape throughout its length, it obviously couldtake any shape that allows the foldable frame members 805 to open andclose.

Additionally, and continuing with the present example, there are movable(or removable) flat stiffening members 815 that are located along theequator of the sphere. Each stiffening member 815 is attachable,preferably rotatably attachable, to one of said frame members 805 at oneend and removably engageable with an adjacent one of said frame member805 at the other end. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 , the stiffeningmembers 815 are formed as planar surfaces but, of course, such aconfiguration is not required. In some embodiments, each of thestiffening members 815 will be permanently attached via a hinge at oneend to one of the frame members 805 and removably attachable at theother end to another, preferably adjacent, frame member 805, therebymaking it possible to rotatably collapse the device into a smaller formfactor by disengaging the stiffening members 815 when the aerial deviceis not in use. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8 , stiffening member815 can be rotated into a locked position between adjacent arches 805 toprovide structural stiffness. The fuselage 820 of FIG. 8 is a removablecylindrical tube that carries the avionics and propulsion system.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 8 utilizes separate stiffening members815 that are situated remotely from the central fuselage 820, otherembodiments might utilize a locking mechanism within the fuselage thatdoes not require such a separate stiffening component. That being said,for larger embodiments separate stiffening elements that are situatedproximate to the external edge of the frame members 805 would mostlikely be beneficial.

FIGS. 9A and 9B contain views of an embodiment that contains roverwheels 905 that are located on the periphery of the sphere and that areparallel to each other and to the sphere's equator. More generally, eachof the rover wheels 905 in this embodiment should roughly correspond toa “circle of the sphere” with respect to the generally spherical shapedefined by the frame members, with a “circle of a sphere” being theresult of interesting a plane with a sphere. Each of the rover wheels905 will need to project beyond the outer extent frame members so thatthe periphery of each wheel can contact the ground and provide transportwhen the vehicle is on the ground.

In one embodiment, the two rover wheels are parallel to each other andperpendicular to the longitudinal axis defined by the fuselage (FIGS. 9Aand 9B) or, in another embodiment, parallel with it (FIGS. 1 and 2 ).According to this embodiment, the vehicle uses the airstream generatedby the propeller to tilt the vehicle 90 degrees and transform thevehicle from an aerial vehicle to a ground vehicle. FIG. 10 illustratesthis point.

Turning next to some theoretical elements related to vehicle control ofan embodiment, the following nomenclature will be used hereinafter:

-   -   T thrust force;    -   Dx, Dy axial and lateral coordinates of the drag force in body        axes;    -   ρ air density at sea level;    -   m vehicle's mass;    -   Ix, Iy, Iz moment of Inertia about the respective body axis        system unit vectors;    -   Fx, Fy, Fz coordinates of the moment vector in body axes;    -   θ, φ, ψ Euler angle;    -   θ1, . . . , 8 vane deflection angles;    -   δp, δr, δy virtual pitch, roll and yaw actuator using vanes,        respectively;    -   ht, hb pitch and roll moment arms from the vanes for the top and        bottom vanes, respectively;    -   dt, db yawl moment arms from the vanes for the top and bottom        vanes, respectively;    -   V⁻ axial velocity of the propeller airflow;    -   Aprop area of the actuator disk representing the spinning        propeller;    -   d diameter of the propeller;    -   Kp proportional gain;    -   Ki integral gain;    -   Kd derivative gain;    -   kT, kM rotor thrust and moment coefficient, respectively;    -   St top vane's surface area;    -   Sb bottom vane's surface area; and    -   ω body frame angular velocity.

Consider the overview of an embodiment of the UFRO as represented byFIGS. 11 and 12 . In this embodiment the vehicle is modeled as a rigidbody influenced by aerodynamic, propulsion and gravitational forces, andmoment acting on the center of mass. The center of mass 17 is located atthe meridian of the sphere. The body-fixed frame is established usingthe right-hand rule by directing the z-axis pointing downward to thedirection of the thrust line and y-axis towards the right side of thevehicle. The diagram shows the orientation of the defined body axissystem with respect to the vehicle where X-axis pointing into the paper.Six degree of freedom rigid body equations of motion are utilized withEuler angles for attitude parameterization in this embodiment. This isdue to the fact that pitch angle close to zero angles for near hoverflight. The symbols r, h, d, S, and A represent the radius of thesphere, the height of the center of mass above the flaps center ofpressure, the radial distance between the center of mass and the flapscenter of pressure, the area of flap and the cross sectional area of thepropeller, respectively. Vane 1 and 3 are identified as elevator, toprovide forward/backward motion, vanes 2 and 4 are identified asaileron, to provide left/right translation motion. The bottom vanes 5 to8 are identified as the rudder, to provide rotational motion along theZ-axis.

The deflection angles of the eight vanes are denoted by the symbols 1 to8 in a clockwise direction. A positive vane deflection is defined as onethat results in blockage of the airflow viewing from the top of thesphere as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 . Note that vanes denoted bythe subscripts 1 to 4 are the top vanes and vanes 5 to 8 are the bottomvanes. The bottom vanes are 45° offset relative to the top vanes. Thenormalized angular velocities of the rotors are denoted by the controlvariables δ₉. O_(B) is the center of mass of the sphere.

In this embodiment it will be convenient to adopt several assumptions tosimplify the control analysis where the UAV will operate in hoverflight:

-   -   magnitude of drag force is negligible compared with the lift        forces and thrust;    -   lift and drag terms vanish at the vertical equilibrium point        during hover flight;    -   CG and the aerodynamic center of the sphere are located at the        same point;    -   vehicle's control vanes are submerged within the propeller air        stream;    -   flow at the control surface is smooth and uniform;    -   frame of the exoskeleton has little contribution under the slip        stream;    -   downwash created by the top vanes will not affect the bottom        vanes; and    -   deflection angle for each vane is assumed to be small.

Mathematically, these forces and their corresponding moments acting onUFRO a single propeller and 8 vanes can be modeled as follows in anembodiment:

F_(x) = qS_(t)C_(L)(δ₂ + δ₄) − qS_(b)C_(L)cos  45^(^(∘))(δ₅ + δ₆ + δ₇ + δ₈) − m g  sin (θ) − D_(x)F_(y) = qS_(t)C_(L)(δ₁ + δ₃) − qS_(b)C_(L)cos  45^(^(∘))(δ₅ − δ₆ + δ₇ − δ₈) − m g  cos (θ)sin (ϕ) − D_(y)F_(z) = qS_(t)C_(D)(δ₁ + δ₂ + δ₃ + δ₄) − qS_(b)C_(D)cos  45^(^(∘))(δ₅ + δ₆ + δ₇ + δ₈) − m g  cos (θ)cos  (φ) − k_(T)δ₉²M_(x) = qS_(t)C_(L)h_(t)(δ₁ + δ₃) − qS_(b)C_(L)h_(b)cos   45^(^(∘))(δ₅ − δ₆ + δ₇ − δ₈) + qS_(t)C_(D)D_(t)(δ₂ − δ₄) + qS_(b)C_(D)D_(b)cos  45^(^(∘))(δ₆ − δ₅ + δ₇ − δ₈)M_(y) = qS_(t)C_(L)h_(t)(δ₂ + δ₄) − qS_(b)C_(L)h_(b)cos   45^(^(∘))(δ₅ + δ₆ + δ₇ + δ₈) + qS_(t)C_(D)D_(t)(δ₃ − δ₁) + qS_(b)C_(D)D_(b)cos  45^(^(∘))(δ₇ − δ₆ + δ₈ − δ₅)${M_{z} = {{{qS}_{t}C_{L}{d_{t}\left( {\delta_{1} - \delta_{3} + \delta_{4} - \delta_{2}} \right)}} - {{qS}_{b}C_{L}d_{b}\cos\mspace{11mu} 45^{{^\circ}}\left( {\delta_{6} + \delta_{7} - \delta_{8} - \delta_{5}} \right)} - {k_{m}\delta_{9}^{2}\mspace{14mu}{with}}}},{q = {\frac{1}{2}\rho\;{\overset{\_}{V}}^{2}}},{V = \sqrt{\frac{T}{2\rho\; A_{prop}}}},{{{and}\mspace{14mu} T} = {K_{T}{\delta_{9}^{2}.}}}$

Note that the drag of the vanes has been considered negligible in thelinear models set out above. For control system implementation purposes,the following virtual vanes that corresponding to pitch, roll, and yawwere defined:δ_(p)=δ₂+δ₄=δ₅+δ₆+δ₇+δ₈δ_(r)=δ₁+δ₃=δ₅−δ₆+δ₇−δ₈δ_(y)=|δ₁|−|δ₃|+|δ₄|−|δ₂|=|δ₆|+|δ₇|−|δ₈|−|δ₅|.

The forgoing can be linearized about a hover trim condition at anarbitrary three-dimensional position which yields the following linear,decoupled small perturbation dynamic in state-space form:

-   -   1) the attitude equation links the altitude z, the climbing rate        v_(z) and the thrust, T:

$\begin{bmatrix}\overset{.}{z} \\\overset{.}{w}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}0 & 1 \\\frac{- F_{x}}{m} & 0\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}z \\w\end{bmatrix}} + {\begin{bmatrix}0 \\\frac{1}{m}\end{bmatrix}\left( {T - {m\; g}} \right)}}$

-   -   2) the pitch equation links the forward velocity, V_(x), the        pitch angle θ and rate q, the pitch moment M_(x):

$\begin{bmatrix}\overset{.}{u} \\\overset{.}{\theta} \\\overset{.}{q}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}0 & g & 0 \\0 & 0 & 1 \\0 & 0 & 0\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}u \\\theta \\q\end{bmatrix}} + \begin{bmatrix}\begin{matrix}\frac{F_{x}}{m} \\0\end{matrix} \\\frac{M_{y}}{I_{y}}\end{bmatrix}}$

-   -   3) the roll equation links the lateral speed V_(y), the roll        angle φ and rate p and the roll moment M_(y):

$\begin{bmatrix}\overset{.}{u} \\\overset{.}{\varphi} \\\overset{.}{p}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}0 & g & 0 \\0 & 0 & 1 \\0 & 0 & 0\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}v \\\varphi \\p\end{bmatrix}} + \begin{bmatrix}\begin{matrix}\frac{F_{y}}{m} \\0\end{matrix} \\\frac{M_{x}}{I_{x}}\end{bmatrix}}$

-   -   4) and finally, the yaw equation links the heading ψ and the yaw        rate r and yaw moment M_(z):

$\begin{bmatrix}\overset{.}{\psi} \\\overset{.}{r}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}0 & 0 \\1 & 0\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix}\psi \\r\end{bmatrix}} + \begin{bmatrix}0 \\\frac{M_{z}}{I_{z}}\end{bmatrix}}$

As the vehicle is axis symmetric in both XZ and YZ plane, the model canbe further simplified where I_(y)=I_(x). This makes pitch and rolldynamics are described by similar equations. For this reason, a similarexpression for the control of the roll axis can be directly deduced.

According to an embodiment, a hover-mode flight test was designed with afocus toward stabilizing 3 degree of freedom attitude dynamic on roll,pitch, and yaw. For purposes of this embodiment, the altitude controllerwill be neglected, and the throttle setting were manually controlled bythe pilot. The control command sent to the control surfacescorresponding to each axis is as follows:δ_(i) =K _(p)ω∫δ_(i) =K _(p)ω_(i) +K _(i)∫ω_(i) dt+K _(d)ω_(i),where i=p, r and y. The PID gains are provided by the ultimatesensitivity method, and tuned by trial and error. FIG. 14 shows anexemplary schematic that illustrates how an embodiment might beconfigured using, in this example, servos that are set up using fiveadditional V-mixers to provide the vanes control scheme as discussedpreviously. By way of explanation, those of ordinary skill in the artwill know that a v-mixer is an advanced electronic servo mixer (signalmixer) for flying wings and V-tail gliders and planes.

FIGS. 13 and 15A and 15B illustrate further embodiments. Moreparticularly, FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the resultant force dueto vane deflections according to an embodiment. FIGS. 15A and 15Billustrate embodiments of a ground-mobile configuration that hasimproved mobility. According to this example, there are two tracks 1520that are designed to rotate either synchronously or asynchronously,either independently or simultaneously, either in the same direction ornot, etc. as the need requires. Additionally, and according to thisembodiment, there will be an avionic compartment 1510, control surfaces1540, and a contra-rotating propeller 1550. Although certain embodimentsdiscussed herein have utilized eight control vanes, those of ordinaryskill in the art will realize that more (or fewer) vanes might beutilized depending on the requirements of the particular application andthe goals of the designer.

It should be noted that where reference is made herein to a methodcomprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carriedout in any order or simultaneously (except where context excludes thatpossibility), and the method can also include one or more other stepswhich are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two ofthe defined steps, or after all of the defined steps (except wherecontext excludes that possibility).

It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”,“consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude theaddition of one or more components, features, steps, or integers orgroups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifyingcomponents, features, steps or integers.

If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, thatdoes not preclude there being more than one of the additional elements.

It is to be understood that where the specification states that acomponent, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, “can”or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure,or characteristic is not required to be included.

Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or both may beused to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to thosediagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow neednot move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the sameorder as illustrated and described.

Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing orcompleting manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selectedsteps or tasks.

The term “method” may refer to manners, means, techniques and proceduresfor accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, thosemanners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readilydeveloped from known manners, means, techniques and procedures bypractitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote thestart of a range beginning with that number (which may be a rangerhaving an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable beingdefined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “atmost” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a rangeending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lowerlimit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variablebeing defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “atmost 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. Terms of approximation (e.g.,“about”, “substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) should be interpretedaccording to their ordinary and customary meanings as used in theassociated art unless indicated otherwise. Absent a specific definitionand absent ordinary and customary usage in the associated art, suchterms should be interpreted to be ±10% of the base value.

When, in this document, a range is given as “(a first number) to (asecond number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number)”, this should beinterpreted to mean a range of numerical values where the lower limit isthe first number and the upper limit is the second number. For example,25 to 100 should be interpreted to mean a range with a lower limit of 25and an upper limit of 100. Additionally, it should be noted that where arange is given, every possible subrange or interval within that range isalso specifically intended unless the context indicates to the contrary.For example, if the specification indicates a range of 25 to 100 suchrange is also intended to include subranges such as 26-100, 27-100,etc., 25-99, 25-98, etc., as well as any other possible combination oflower and upper values within the stated range, e.g., 33-47, 60-97,41-45, 28-96, etc. Note that integer range values have been used in thisparagraph for purposes of illustration only and decimal and fractionalvalues (e.g., 46.7-91.3) should also be understood to be intended aspossible subrange endpoints unless specifically excluded.

Further, it should be noted that terms of approximation (e.g., “about”,“substantially”, “approximately”, etc.) are to be interpreted accordingto their ordinary and customary meanings as used in the associated artunless indicated otherwise herein. Absent a specific definition withinthis disclosure, and absent ordinary and customary usage in theassociated art, such terms should be interpreted to be plus or minus 10%of the base value.

Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectivesand attains the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as thoseinherent therein.

While the invention has been described and illustrated herein withreference to certain embodiments in relation to the accompanyingdrawings, various changes and further modifications may be made thereinby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention, the scope of which is determined from the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A foldable unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:a. a fuselage, said fuselage containing a power source and avionics inelectrical communication with said power source; b. a CPU, said CPU inelectronic communication with said power source and said avionics, saidCPU at least for wirelessly receiving commands from a user andcontrolling said vehicle during a flight according to said receivedcommands; c. at least one propeller in mechanical communication withsaid power source and in mechanical communication with said fuselage,said at least one propeller rotatable under control of said CPU and inresponse to commands from the user; d. at least four vertically orientedframe members, each of said frame members rotatably supported on aninner edge by a hinge, said hinge attached to said inner edge of saidframe member and to said fuselage, and each of said frame members havinga generally continuous semicircular shape on an outer periphery, whereinsaid at least four frame members are rotatable about said fuselagebetween a planar configuration and spherical configuration.
 2. Thefoldable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, furthercomprising: e. at least one stiffening member, each of said at least onestiffening member attached at one end to one of said at least four framemembers and at an opposite end to an adjacent one of said at least fourframe members.
 3. The foldable unmanned aerial vehicle according toclaim 2, wherein each of said at least one stiffening member isrotatably attached at said one end to one of said at least four framemembers and removably attached at an opposite end to said adjacent oneof said at least four frame members.
 4. The foldable unmanned aerialvehicle according to claim 2, wherein each of said at least onestiffening member is a planar surface.
 5. The foldable unmanned aerialvehicle according to claim 2, wherein one or more of said at least onepropeller is reversible in rotational direction under control of saidCPU between a forward direction to generate thrust for flight and areverse direction.
 6. A foldable unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:(a) a fuselage; (b) a power source within said fuselage; (c) apropulsion system within said fuselage in electrical communication withsaid power source; (d) at least one propeller in mechanicalcommunication with said propulsion system, wherein one or more of saidat least one propeller is rotatable by said propulsion system in aforward direction to provide thrust for flight; (e) avionics mountedwithin said fuselage to receive wireless commands from a user, saidavionics at least for controlling a flight of said vehicle according tosaid received commands; (f) at least four vertically oriented framemembers mounted in a spaced-apart configuration around said fuselage,each of said frame members rotatably supported on an inner edge by ahinge, said hinge attached to said inner edge of said frame member andto said fuselage; and each of said frame members having a generallycontinuous semicircular shape on an outer periphery, wherein said atleast four frame members are rotatable about said fuselage between aplanar configuration and a spherical configuration; and (g) a CPU insaid fuselage, said CPU in electronic communication with said avionicsand said propulsion system, said CPU at least programed to perform thesteps of: (i) interpreting commands from the user and (ii) controllingsaid propulsion system in response to said interpreted commands from theuser.
 7. The foldable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6,further comprising: (h) at least one stiffening member, said at leastone stiffening member engageable on a first end to one of said at leastfour frame members and engageable on a second end to an adjacent one ofsaid at least four frame members.
 8. The foldable unmanned aerialvehicle according to claim 7, wherein each of said at least onestiffening member is rotatably attached at said first end to one of saidat least four frame members and removably engageable on said second endto an adjacent one of said at least one stiffening members.
 9. Thefoldable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 7, wherein each ofsaid at least one stiffening member has a planar surface.
 10. Thefoldable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6, wherein one ormore of said at least one propeller is rotatable by said propulsionsystem in a reverse direction opposite to said forward direction forflight.
 11. The foldable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 10,wherein said CPU is programmed at least to: (i) interpret commands fromthe user, (ii) control said propulsion system according to said commandsfrom the user, (iii) direct said propulsion system to rotate said atleast one propeller in either said forward or said reverse direction;(iv) determine an orientation of said vehicle, (v) when said determinedorientation of said vehicle is an upright orientation, instruct saidpropulsion system to rotate said at least one propeller in said forwarddirection, and (vi) when said determined orientation of said vehicle isnot in said upright orientation, instruct said propulsion system torotate said at least one propeller in said reverse direction until saidvehicle is at least approximately in said upright orientation.